[Closed] Is it OK to overtake a fire engine on a motorway?

Of course it's OK as long as you don't obstruct them.

Don't see why not, as long as you're not impeeding it's progress in any way. Can they go much faster than 60mph anyway?

It traditional to give them a salute as you go past, the same way you do when you go past army vehicles.

It traditional to give them a salute as you go past, the same way you do when you go past army vehicles.

Is that a mooning salute!

I've done it once, I can't see the problem. You are allowed to do 70mph, and travelling at 70mph wouldn't slow down a fire engine doing 60mph, so why would there be a problem ?

I always to a tradional salute when I go past, the Ms Dobbo hates it!

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I'm not surprised Ms Dobbo hates it - you salute like a Yank.

Why can't you do the British salute ?

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It traditional to give them a salute as you go past, the same way you do when you go past [s]army[/s] Eddy Stobart vehicles.

I've done it once, I can't see the problem. You are allowed to do 70mph, and travelling at 70mph wouldn't slow down a fire engine doing 60mph, so why would there be a problem ?

thats what i thought but it just seems wrong!

That's much more like me. 😆

but it just seems wrong!

Yeah I know what you mean. All the more reason to do it though - you feel you're being naughty without actually being naughty. It doesn't get much better than that.

as a general rule i chill out at 58ish mph on motorways, but i do enjoy overtaking police cars who have caused all the repmobiles to slow from 100 down to 69mph scared to go faster than the po po. sailing painfully slowly past at 71mph is childish, but harmless, and giving them a wave to get a thumbs up from the 5.0 always makes me chuckle.

simple things please simple minds.

Your OK to go past the fuzz at 75-80mph, if by any chance you do get a tug tell them Dobbo said it was OK to do and point them to this thread.

Yeh course it's ok, just bear in mind that they may be attending an rtc on the same motorway.

Our pump is incredibly slow, takes an age to get up to 60mph(yeh they do go much faster than that) and we are constantly overtaken, and yes its a little embarrassing. We have a new Scania arriving soon, apparently, these babies fly, hopefully.

Why does it seem wrong? I think the whole motorway traffic sitting behind a fire engine would be a bit stupid.

Why does it seem wrong? I think the whole motorway traffic sitting behind a fire engine would be a bit stupid.

Not wrong at all, but I do notice that if there is a police car driving in the inside lane at 60mph, generally people seem reluctant to pass, as the average speed of the motorway seems to slow down.

"as a general rule i chill out at 58ish mph on motorways, but i do enjoy overtaking police cars who have caused all the repmobiles to slow from 100 down to 69mph scared to go faster than the po po. sailing painfully slowly past at 71mph is childish, but harmless, and giving them a wave to get a thumbs up from the 5.0 always makes me chuckle."

God you leave a dull life 😯

[i]as a general rule i chill out at 58ish mph on motorways[/i]

Middle lane, natch 😉

God you leave a dull life

I rarely go above 65mph on the motorway these days, makes the tank of fuel last a lot longer.

Isn't there something about not overtaking emergency vehicles as you could, at some stage along the road (slow traffic etc), impede their progress.

do whatever you want.. if it feels good do it..

that's the only rule that I use when driving.. 8)

lol i dont lead a dull life... i'm having more fun than the reps struggling to contain their anger at being stuck at the speed limit 😀

middle lane only when overtaking dezzy, i'm a good boy!

Do you deny this is you then?

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That's Harry the Spider that is.

You can just make out his blue M&S V neck.

58 isn't too fast for you is it dear?

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Why on Earth would you not overtake?

Dogs and cats, living together.

Isn't there something about not overtaking emergency vehicles as you could, at some stage along the road (slow traffic etc), impede their progress.

A good point, the fire engine might be on the way to an incident which has blocked the motorway. By overtaking youd be blocking their access.
I'd still overtake though, if the fire engine gets there first youd deff. be stuck 😯

Better to be stuck behind a pump/fire engine than between it and the incident eh?

I posted the revised edition of the [url= http://www.st-1100.com/highway-code.html ]Highway Code[/url] in the other thread but it's worth repeating.

Emergency vehicles. If you hear and / or see an emergency vehicle approaching, IMMEDIATELY stop your vehicle no matter where you are. Emergency vehicles are designed to be able to swerve around you.

it's worth repeating.

It is, I ignored it last time but that's pretty good.

you salute like a Yank.

Why can't you do the British salute ?

Doesn't it depend on which Service???

Wrong post

Not wrong at all, but I do notice that if there is a police car driving in the inside lane at 60mph, generally people seem reluctant to pass, as the average speed of the motorway seems to slow down

The Police will sit at 60mph on the track because its enough below the limit to allow folk to realise that its ok to pass. Anyone who wouldnt pass a Police car doing 60mph in the 1st lane, well, they're just thick. If the Police want you to slow down - you will know about it.

" Emergency vehicles. If you hear and / or see an emergency vehicle approaching, IMMEDIATELY stop your vehicle no matter where you are. Emergency vehicles are designed to be able to swerve around you."

I was told of somebody who had failed his driving test because he did not do this - seemed harsh to me given that the emergency vehicle was going the other way on a perfectly clear road. If we all stopped under those circumstances there'd be a few dented rear ends. But then the Highway Code is advice.

I was told of somebody who had failed his driving test because he did not do this - seemed harsh to me given that the emergency vehicle was going the other way on a perfectly clear road. If we all stopped under those circumstances there'd be a few dented rear ends. But then the Highway Code is advice

Ummm, ah... never mind. There's a GIF for this...

Ummm, ah... never mind. There's a GIF for this...

[IMG] [/IMG]

😉

Hampshires trucks can easily top 70+ on the motorways, unless they're the bigger heavier ones. It's fine to overtake if you can do so safely, however driving up our arse as it's a short cut through the traffic is a route to disaster!

Appliance drivers have done an intensive advanced driving course that teaches us vehicle positioning and reaction skills, a slightly diluted version of the police's, we drive anticipating everyone in front to do something stupid and they frequently do, but if there's something behind us they may not be anticipating the same reactions and as you can imagine a fire engine is a pretty rubbish window.

I know hampshire has had several pumps in the workshop straightening the rear ends out as someone has fancied a short cut.

So in summing up, is overtaking a pump on blues on the motorway illegal? Not to my knowledge. Is it neccersary, only you can make that decision.

Please tell me that Orange Crush isn't loose on the roads in charge of a motor vehicle...!

When you really have to start worrying is when you realise that you're catching the police (on blues and twos) that just passed you!

Never happened to me of course.

Very impressed though at the people on the motorway who manage to stay at the fuel efficient speeds, I always start out doing that, have too much time to work out the journey time and move up to cruising speed - 70mph.

Road near work seems to be on a training route, seen a fire engine tanking down the road, leaning pretty hard into the corners with mini cooper behind that seemed to be struggling to keep up. Don't think it could've overtaken. Having said that, 18t pointing downhill...

BruceWee - Member

Emergency vehicles. If you hear and / or see an emergency vehicle approaching, IMMEDIATELY stop your vehicle no matter where you are. Emergency vehicles are designed to be able to swerve around you.

Is that really relevant though? I mean, you wouldn't apply that in all circumstances of course.

Ambulances are awful to drive. The best they can be i guess (lowered) but they roll about really badly. Not driven but been in the back. They dont seem designed to swere to me...

I'd let it pass though. On a mway i'd pass it but expect to let it pass if it needed, might be my Mum, a mates Mum, someones Mum.... so always allow a safe pass

Is that really relevant though? I mean, you wouldn't apply that in all circumstances of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody

O I C. I thought it was just really s**t advice, i was building up to telling him off

(-:

Have a look at the link, back a way in this thread.

Apparently my observations aren't as good as they used to be 😳

"as a general rule i chill out at 58ish mph on motorways, but i do enjoy overtaking police cars who have caused all the repmobiles to slow from 100 down to 69mph scared to go faster than the po po. sailing painfully slowly past at 71mph is childish, but harmless, and giving them a wave to get a thumbs up from the 5.0 always makes me chuckle."

God you leave a dull life